


Saturday at the Smithsonian

by buckybarnes19



Series: Bucky's Big Adventure [6]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson Friendship, Fluff and Angst, Mild Language, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Smithsonian, The Avengers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-02
Updated: 2015-09-02
Packaged: 2018-04-18 11:39:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4704731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buckybarnes19/pseuds/buckybarnes19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'Today they were back at the Smithsonian as per Bucky's request. He was right next to Sam with a suspiciously innocent and pleasant smile on his face and Sam narrowed his eyes, wondering what sort of miserable plan Bucky was concocting, because that's what he was doing, Sam had no doubt. He couldn't torture non-Soviets anymore so he took out his frustrated assassin instincts on Sam. Lucky, lucky Sam.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Saturday at the Smithsonian

Most people think Bucky has a problem with crowds. Whenever Bucky is out in public with one of Steve's acquaintances or teammates they side-eye him, waiting to see how he'll react with so many people around. Those who don't know Bucky assume he'll turn into some sort of berserker, grab an automatic, and shoot into the crowd while screaming bloody murder like some kind of shitty Rambo-inspired blood-and-guts flick.

It's true Bucky doesn't like crowds. He didn't mind them much back in the good ol' days but after a few decades as a ghost soldier he's learned to avoid them. That much is true. But he doesn't mind them. 

In fact, he doesn't mind them to such a degree that Sam has to constantly check to see where Bucky is. It's almost like a game, a spiteful little game Bucky started to make Sam's life hell. Disappear into a crowd. Make Sam go looking. Continually hide from Sam. Make Sam freak out. Eventually appear completely unharmed and smug right beside Sam. No wonder the whole fucking intelligence community thought the Winter Soldier was a ghost. But they were wrong, so wrong. The Winter Soldier was very real, very alive, and very much an asshole.

Today they were back at the Smithsonian as per Bucky's request. He was right next to Sam with a suspiciously innocent and pleasant smile on his face and Sam narrowed his eyes, wondering what sort of miserable plan Bucky was concocting, because that's what he was doing, Sam had no doubt. He couldn't torture non-Soviets anymore so he took out his frustrated assassin instincts on Sam. Lucky, lucky Sam. 

Not for the first time he thought about retiring to somewhere far, far away. Maybe he would ask Thor to take him to Asgard since it was the only place he could reasonably assume Bucky wouldn't show up to make him miserable. 

No Steve today, either. He and Romanoff were away somewhere in Europe engaged in a mission. And thank goodness that red-headed she-demon was gone. Natasha Romanoff was trouble enough. Throw another Russian ex-assassin into that mix and it became something dangerous and volatile, which always blew up in Sam's face. Clint Barton was a slightly better influence on Bucky. At least when the two of them were together they mostly slunk away to some dark corner where there was pizza and a reasonable amount of security and Bucky returned cheery with an unconscious Clint more often than not slung over his left shoulder. Sometimes he would even sing Russian songs and sway, knocking into furniture and banging off walls. Sam didn't want to know what made a super soldier drunk.

So just Sam and his personal hell spawn to keep him company. He wondered what he ever did to deserve this.

"So, where do you want to start?" he asked mildly. He always started out pleasant, it wasn't his fault if things didn't end that way.

Bucky's eyes were roving around the busy museum with an air of cold mischief that Sam knew and disliked intensely. 

"Behave yourself, Bucky, or I'm taking you back home."

Bucky didn't answer but the edges of his lips started to curl up. Sam knew that look, too.

"I mean it," he said, and walked toward the door.

Bucky watched him go, glanced around the Smithsonian again as if deciding what was more valuable to him - getting lost in here and making Sam miserable, or following Sam for the chance to make him directly miserable. He opted for the latter.

"I talked to Steve about joining the Avengers," he said, sliding in beside Sam.

"I know." Sam's face and voice were expressionless but there was a jaded weariness in his eyes that Bucky caught and savoured. 

"He said he would think about it."

"I know that, too." Sam turned, deciding he didn't want to leave the Smithsonian after all. Money wasn't much of an option since he had a Tony Stark all-day, all-city pass (a.k.a. a credit card in his own name backed by Stark's money, hallelujah) but he hadn't been here in months, not since Bucky tore through the place butt-fucking-naked and got them both kicked out. That summer had been a particularly horrific one. Bucky had all the maturity of a toddler with the menace of a steroid-powered, rabid, insane bear. The Smithsonian streak had been one in a long serious of nude dashes and very awkward conversations for Sam Wilson and he was glad Bucky retired that particular method of acting out. 

"You know, it might be good for you," Sam said, turning to look at him. He even gave Bucky a smile and that surprised the ex-assassin enough to make him scowl. "Think about it," Sam pressed in Bucky's continued silence. "You would be working as part of a team and for once you'd be helping to build something, to protect people. I think it's a very mature decision, James. I just hope you're ready for everything that follows."

"That follows? Like what?" Bucky was too distracted by this unexpected recourse that he didn't even dive into the gift shop, which was his favourite place to go in the museum. He particularly enjoyed making vulgar scenes with the stuffed animals and other kids toys and this had been where he'd unexpectedly discarded his clothes last summer, engaging Sam in a desperate and unwelcome game of catch-me-if-you-can. Sam had never wanted to kill a person so badly in his life.

"Well," Sam continued, forcing back this painful memory and quelling the rising urge to punch James Barnes in the nose, "you would be following orders again. And you hate following orders."

Bucky shrugged his right shoulder. "Can't argue there."

"You'd be working with Tony Stark and you hate Tony Stark."

He scowled darkly and hunched his shoulders. Sam thought he looked like an overgrown bat. "I'm gonna punch him in the face."

"You did already, last Christmas, when he gave you that set of magnets for your arm."

"That was crude and offensive," Bucky said airily.

"So was your gift," Sam said, annoyed.

"It was hand-made."

"It was a Lego board with pieces that spelled out 'Fuck you'."

Bucky laughed. "I meant every word." His laughter had a way of brightening up his face, making his eyes sparkle, the lines of his face look like they were from joy instead of sadness, and making him look handsome, Sam would admit. A couple of women passing the other way smiled at him and he winked, making them giggle. Sam rolled his eyes. 

"Firing guns, maybe taking lives... There's a good chance it would be triggering for you. With everything Hydra did up there," he glanced at Bucky's forehead, "there's no telling what might happen. You might even become the Winter Soldier again."

Bucky's scowl turned dangerous by this point and the look he gave Sam was ugly. "Look, I just have to speak my mind and lay everything out of the table. I'm a straightforward guy, James, you know that. It might happen and it might not. I don't know. It's definitely something you need to think about before you charge off into another war because a big part of you didn't make it out of the last one."

They'd been aimlessly walking the museum while they talked and somehow they ended up at the food court with burgers that cost way more than they were worth and soda that must have been pissed out by angels judging by what it cost. Bucky took out his own Stark card and bought some truly disgusting breed of ice cream from one of those places where you mix different flavours and toppings. Sam opted for vanilla and sprinkles. Bucky, he suspected, put just about everything in his. They sat on a bench together, Bucky oddly quiet and pensive, which suited Sam just fine because it gave him a moment of peace to relax and enjoy his ice cream.

"I don't want to go back there."

Bucky's voice was small, frightened. It caught Sam off guard and he turned to look at Bucky with surprise on his face. "Back where?" he said, keeping his voice level.

"Back to Europe. Back to Hydra. Back to the Winter Soldier." He pressed his lips together, staring out into the crowds that moved cheerfully by them. "I..." He scowled. Expressing thoughts and opinions was still difficult for him. "I don't want to be that person. I wasn't even a person. I was the asset. I don't want to be that." He turned to look at Sam with defiance and challenge in his wide, dark eyes. Sam looked at him calmly.

"No one would treat you like a weapon, James. Everyone on the Avengers is equal to the others. And Steve is our captain. Do you think he'd treat you like that?"

Bucky's expression faltered. "No..."

"Do you think he'd let the others treat you like a weapon?"

"No... not really. But I'm..." He searched for the right word and sighed, frustrated.

"Scared," Sam said.

"Yeah." His voice was small again. He stuck a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth and held the spoon there while he thought.

"Tell you what. I'll talk to Steve, see what he thinks about you doing small missions at first. Do you think you can team up with Barton to do one? Or me? I know you can with Steve."

Bucky nodded slowly then pulled the spoon out of his mouth and looked darkly at Sam. "Don't be an asshole, though."

"I won't," Sam said with a slight scowl.

"Tell Barton not to be an asshole."

"I'll make sure to do that. And Steve?"

"I'll tell Steve myself," Bucky said, and shoved another spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. They were quiet for a moment and Sam sensed that Bucky was thinking hard, which he knew by the look on Bucky's face and the intense silence he was keeping. Then he side-eyed Sam, which Sam pretended not to notice, and then slowly inching over, Bucky briefly rested his head on Sam's shoulder and nudged him with his nose. It was Bucky's preferred form of showing affection and just as soon as it happened Bucky inched back to his side of the bench.

Sam smiled. Sometimes Bucky was a pain in the ass he'd like to throw into the sun. And sometimes being a surrogate parent was worth it.


End file.
